420 (Family Guy)

420 (Family Guy)

"Episode 420" (sometimes shortened to "420") is the 12th episode of the seventh season of the animated comedy series Family Guy. It premiered on Fox in the United States on April 19, 2009. The title of the episode is a reference to the term "420" used in cannabis culture; "Episode 420" premiered the day before April 20 (4/20), on which a counterculture holiday is celebrated centering around the consumption of cannabis. "420" focuses on the character Brian after he is arrested for drug possession, which prompts him to launch a campaign to legalize cannabis with help from Stewie; the liveliness of their campaign convinces Mayor West to legalize the drug, and most of Quahog's population begins using it.

The episode was written by Patrick Meighan and directed by Julius Wu. While it received positive reception from critics for its storyline and cultural references, it generated controversy from the Venezuelan government for its topic and received criticism from the Parents Television Council during a rerun. According to Nielsen ratings, it was viewed in 7.40 million homes in its original airing. The episode featured guest performances by Phil LaMarr and Kerrigan Mahan, along with several recurring guest voice actors for the series.